Forty Lashes Minus One

Pastor Randy Solomon created an unforgettable Good Friday service. We started tasting olives to remember the Garden of Gethsemane (which means "olive press"), saw the fire where Peter denied that he knew the Lord, heard the rooster crow; we even smelled the vinegar when the sponge was put to Jesus' lips as He hung on the cross.

We won't have time to process the whole service before Good Friday ends, so I've uploaded the sound effect that moved me the most: It's the sound of the 39 lashes Jesus received during his flogging.

Romans gave 40 lashes for death by flogging, and one less if death was not intended. They used a cat-of-nine-tails, which had nine separate mini-whips, and on the end of each was tied a bit of bone or metal, which would dig flesh out of the person being flogged. Jack Kelly wrote, "It’s the opinion of the New England Journal of the American Medical Assn. that the flesh of our Lord’s back would have been almost completely torn off, leaving His rib cage exposed, and he would have been in deep shock following His interrogation."

As you listen consider that He took each lash for you, as a part of God's plan for our Salvation.

Sound effect purchased through www.PondFive.com.

Photo courtesy of NicolettiPhoto.com.